1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital home electronic device to be used on a network.
1. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there appeared a system in which home electronic devices are connected to the network and utilized comprehensively. As a result, it has become popular to develop digital home electronic devices that are equipped with functions for communicating with other information processing devices or the like. When such digital hone electronics are connected to a public network through an electric power network or a home gateway, for example, it becomes possible to manage these home electronic devices comprehensively and provide services that are not conceivable conventionally.
For example, by using such digital home electronics, it is possible to manage coolers and heaters comprehensively from a server device side in order to realize an energy saving, or manage burglar alarm devices or gas leakage detection devices comprehensively to improve the safety of the building, for example.
Also, when the server device side provides contents services to enrich the entertainment and the education, the home side can receive these services through the digital videos and sounds.
However, in the case of the public network such as the Internet, for example, there is a possibility for the malicious user to control the digital home electronics that are capable of communicating through the Internet.
For example, one of the digital home electronics is an air conditioner, and it is possible to control the temperature setting of the air conditioner through the Internet or the like from the server device side. In this case, when a malicious user controls the temperature setting of the air conditioner abnormally high, if there is only a sick person or a child who cannot adjust the setting of the air conditioner is present in that room at which the air conditioner is located, the life of that sick person or child might possibly be endangered.